The Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) said it would not raise the premium for participants of the program despite a growing deficit.

Head of BPJS Kesehatan Fachmi Idris said that the government was working to find a solution to deal with the deficit without having to raise premiums for the program's subscribers.

"There's no option to raise the premium. To plug the deficit, we expect a fresh contribution of funds from the government," Fachmi said as quoted by tempo.co.

Fachmi also said to find a solution to the deficit problem, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani would convene a meeting with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek and National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) head Bambang S. Brodjonegoro.

BPJS Kesehatan earlier announced that the company’s deficit was projected to reach Rp 9 trillion (US$673.75 million) by the end of this year.

Last year, the BPJS Kesehatan deficit reached Rp 9.7 trillion. 

The company said the deficit resulted from the lack of funding paid by the government to cover the premiums paid by low-income households.

The premium paid by the government for 92.4 million low-income participants, referred to as contribution assistance recipients (PBI), was only Rp 23,000 for each participant -- which was far less than the normal premium of Rp 36,000.